As the Terps have racked up setback after setback to the point of dropping their last five games, calls for a new coach among fans have intensified. In spite of that growing sentiment, athletic director Jim Smith has held firm that Locksley will continue in his role to lead the program — at least for the rest of 2025.

As Maryland (4-5, 1-5 Big Ten) prepares to visit Illinois (6-3, 3-3) with the hope of capturing its first victory since Sept. 20 when the team handled Wisconsin, 27-10, the spotlight has shifted to the players who might themselves in the awkward position of defending their coach to fans, boosters or anyone else with critical views.

During Tuesday’s media availability at SECU Stadium, two players said they are playing for everyone, which would presumably include Locksley.

“I think we’re playing for everybody in the building,” said freshman quarterback Malik Washington, a Glen Burnie native and Spalding graduate. “Nobody likes to feel this type of way after losing five straight. You’re playing for the senior guys. This is their last chance, their last opportunity. Some of them have playing football in total, and some in a Maryland uniform. So I think each week, we’ve always been playing for each other.”

Added redshirt junior safety Lavain Scruggs, a Baltimore resident and Spalding graduate: “As a team, we are always playing for one another. Whatever’s going on outside, [the] media, we’re not really worried about that. We’re worried about doing our job, playing against Illinois this weekend. So whatever’s going on, we’re not actually worried about it.”

The lack of concern might be considered admirable in light of the scrutiny that has fallen on Locksley. The five-game skid is tied for the second-longest during his tenure, and the Terps are underdogs against the Fighting Illini.

Saturday’s 35-20 setback at Rutgers assured that Maryland will not finish the season with a winning record in the Big Ten – an accomplishment that has eluded Locksley during his seven-year tenure. The program slipped to 5-18 in November under the former Towson safety.

Despite the lack of success, the players stand by Locksley. Last week, senior safety Jalen Huskey and redshirt senior left guard Isaiah Wright said they would continue to contend for their coach, and Washington and Scruggs did not contradict their teammates’ stances.

For his part, Locksley seemed to chafe at the necessity of the players’ public comments in support of him.

“I don’t like that,” he said. “I’m a big boy. I’ve been a big boy a long time. I’ve done a lot harder things in my life than deal with a five-game losing streak and have to answer questions about what I’ve done. … When you hear those things, it’s encouraging because that means I’ve had a positive impact on the lives of those two guys. That’s doing good work. I’m here to do good work.”

Locksley’s attempt to downplay the players’ defense did not surprise Washington, who implied the coach did not want to add to their already loaded plates.

“I understand why he’s saying it because like I just said, we really just want to focus on being able to play for the person next to you and your brothers that you’ve grinded with this whole offseason to try to make it to this point,” he said.

As troubling as the Terps’ plunge has been, the atmosphere within the program remains the same. Washington said players were cheering each other during Monday’s weightlifting session, and Locksley said he has appreciated their workmanlike approach.

“It’s a little crazy, but the vibes have not changed at all,” Scruggs said. “We’re still the same team because since camp and since all these guys came in, we built this brotherhood, and this brotherhood is very, very strong. And I’ll say the locker room is amazing. The guys want to win. The guys are hungry. We’ve got to get a lot of guys healthy. So the locker is still amazing.”

And for all of the consternation surrounding the program, Maryland could still become eligible for what would be its fourth bowl in the last five years by earning two victories in its last three games against Illinois on Saturday, No. 18 Michigan (7-2, 5-1) on Nov. 22 and Michigan State (3-6, 0-6) on Nov. 29. The odds seem to be stacked against the team, but stranger things have happened before.

Regardless, Locksley said Saturday’s game is the first chance to right the ship.

“It’s to take advantage of the next opportunity,” he said when asked if becoming bowl eligible can inspire the team. “And obviously, the things that we can control is the ability to extend our season, which is something that you would want. Those practices, as I’ve said, are invaluable. And so, priority No. 1 is to get back on the right side of the ledger this week, and then the priority No. 2 is, how do we build on that?”

READER POLL: Should Maryland keep football coach Michael Locksley beyond this season?

Chatter outside of the Jones-Hill House where the Terps practice will not deter them, Washington said.

“We understand that it’s really just the people in the building that matter, the coaches and the faculty and staff that have helped us up to this point and the players that you’ve been working with all offseason to try to get here,” he said. “And now it’s, continue to work for those same people that have worked with you this whole time.”

Could Locksley’s job security serve as another motivation? Not specifically, according to Scruggs.

“We’re motivated every game,” he said. “We’re 0-5 right now. So we’re hungry for this next win. We want to win, we want to win. So that’s what it is.”

That might be the one thing Locksley found himself in alignment with his players.

“We don’t do external motivations in this program,” he said. “It’s a bond. They know I’m going to coach them up until the day I’m not allowed to, and they’re going to play hard for me until they are done playing for me. Those are the types of bonds I’m make in this business, and again, I’ve done the good work throughout 37 years of it.”

Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at eklee@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun. 

As Mike Elias and the 29 other teams’ top baseball executives converged on Las Vegas for the annual general manager meetings this week, the Orioles were already busy between hiring a new manager, swinging the first MLB trade of the winter and reshuffling the fringes of their 40-man roster. A nontender decision or two aside, the next moves they make will be acquisitions aimed at improving their chances of competing for the playoffs in 2026. 

No area of the roster will be more important for Baltimore to get right than the lineup, which was the driving force behind its postseason appearances in 2023 and 2024. The Orioles’ offense took a step back last season because of both regression for several of their young stars and injuries that kept the lineup from ever operating at full strength. 

“All of us in the org, there’s a lot of soul searching and looking in the mirror individually what could each of us have done better to get a better result for the team, and that definitely applies to those guys,” said Elias, the Orioles’ president of baseball operations, at his end-of-season news conference in September. “We’ve talked about it, we’re formulating plans and we’re going to do everything that we can to have them bounce back and get back on track.” 

While every position on the diamond is already spoken for in one way or another, the Orioles could stand to upgrade their lineup in free agency after clearing ample payroll space the past few months. Here’s a look at some of the top hitters available on the market and how they might fit in Baltimore. 

(Players who have been extended a qualifying offer are marked with an asterisk. Ages listed are how old players will be on opening day next season) 

*OF Kyle Tucker, 29 

The clear No. 1 free agent available this winter is Tucker, a reliable corner outfielder who has been a safe bet for 20 to 30 home runs and an OPS north of .800 every year since 2021. While he’s not be the headliner Juan Soto or Shohei Ohtani were in recent offseasons, Tucker is likely to command a contract at least a decade long with a $300 million floor. 

Baltimore has never shopped in this high of a tier before, breaking nine figures only once to sign Chris Davis to his now-infamous $161 million deal. But this offseason also serves as a test for second-year owner David Rubenstein, who has twice said in the past nine months he has “no financial limit” when it comes to upgrading the roster. 

If the Orioles do get serious about spending, Tucker is a hitter worth moving other players around to fit onto the roster. His addition would shift Tyler O’Neill over to left field and cement Colton Cowser in center, a spot where Baltimore tested him out down the stretch. 

The outfield defense would suffer — Cowser has been much better in left — and an already lefty-heavy lineup skew even more in that direction, but would that matter if it meant sandwiching Tucker’s bat between Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg and Adley Rutschman at the top of the lineup? Probably not. 

Grade the fit: B- 

*DH Kyle Schwarber, 33

Another game-changing bat, Schwarber is one of the premiere power hitters in the sport. His 324 home runs since 2017 trails only Aaron Judge (364) and he’s developed a reputation as a veteran leader whose ample postseason experience would go a long way in the Orioles’ young clubhouse. If those were the only factors, he would be a perfect fit. 

However, Schwarber has played almost exclusively at designated hitter, and for good reason — he accumulated minus-34 defensive runs saved over his last two years as a regular in the outfield between 2022 and 2023. The Orioles are pretty clogged at DH, where catchers Rutschman and Samuel Basallo are expected to see ample time in addition to the injury-plagued O’Neill. He also still doesn’t solve their need for a right-handed hitter.

It would be nice to dream about Schwarber tattooing Eutaw Street with new home run plaques the next few years, but that’s about the only way he makes sense for Baltimore. 

Grade the fit: C- 

OF/1B Cody Bellinger, 30

If you’re sensing a trend of left-handed hitters, that’s because this year’s outfield market is almost exclusively filled with them. Bellinger returns to free agency after opting out of the final year of contract with the New York Yankees, with whom he hit .272 with 29 homers and an .813 OPS last season. The former National League Most Valuable Player Award winner will be seeking a long-term deal that will take him into his mid-to-late 30s.

Bellinger’s career has been something of a yo-yo, ricocheting between MVP-caliber seasons and below-average ones. He’s been a productive player each of the past three years with a steady on-base percentage, but signing him does come with some risk that he’ll crater back down again. 

Even so, Bellinger is a prolific hitter when at his best and he comes with the added bonus of playing strong defense at both center field and first base. He would be the perfectly shaped puzzle piece that fits into the Orioles’ first base/DH picture of Rutschman, Basallo and Coby Mayo while taking over at the club’s only true hole of center field.

Bellinger’s presence would allow Cowser to remain in left and provide insurance for the event O’Neill gets injured again, with rookie Dylan Beavers and glove-first outfielder Leody Taveras factoring into the mix. He also doesn’t have the qualifying offer attached, a significant factor for an organization that prizes draft capital like Baltimore.

If the Orioles are going to spend big on a bat, Bellinger might be their best option.

Grade the fit: A 

*CF Trent Grisham, 29

A year ago, Grishman’s value was entirely built around his defense in center field. Then he went out in 2025 and set career highs in home runs (34), RBIs (74) and OPS (.811) to earn a qualifying offer from the Yankees. Assuming he declines it, Grisham will present one of the more interesting cases in free agency as a player coming off his breakout season. 

The two-time Gold Glove Award winner would be an upgrade in center field, though advanced metrics didn’t love his 2025 season compared to years past. Still, a multi-year deal for Grisham would entrench Cowser in left and relegate Beavers to a fourth outfielder who spells O’Neill a couple of times a week. 

Yet another left-handed bat, Grisham had dramatic platoon splits last season (.869 OPS vs. righties, .652 vs. lefties) and his sprint speed has declined each of the past three years. His addition would carry more risk of negative value than even Bellinger, but Grisham’s cost is likely to be much lower and more in line with the Orioles’ history of spending. 

Grade the fit: B 

1B Pete Alonso, 31

Finally, a right-handed hitter! Alonso is one of the top bats on the market for the second winter in a row after settling for a one-year, $30 million deal with the New York Mets last offseason. He made good on that contract with an Alonso-esque year, launching 38 home runs and leading the NL with 41 doubles. 

Now, he’s back and looking for a long-term fix this time. The Orioles might not appear to be the best fit because of Mayo, one of their most recently graduated top prospects who’s under team control through 2031. Investing in Alonso would effectively block the corner infielder from ever seeing the field — and the aforementioned DH offers slim playing time. 

Mayo finished the season strong with an impressive .941 OPS in September, but he’s otherwise struggled to produce consistently thus far in his young MLB career. The Orioles found out in 2025 what could happen if they construct the majority of their lineup around young players they hope will take a step forward. Alonso is a proven power hitter, playoff performer and vocal leader. He checks a lot of boxes for Baltimore. 

Grade the fit: A- 

Other top free agent hitters 

• Is SS Bo Bichette, 29, willing to play second base? Just about the only way he fits in the Orioles’ lineup is if he shifts to second and Jackson Holliday tries his hand at the outfield.

• There’s no hole that UTIL Willi Castro, 28, can’t fill. The veteran utility man struggled with the Chicago Cubs after being traded at the deadline but was an above-average hitter for two and a half years for the Minnesota Twins before that. He could fill the Ramón Urías role while also offering more upside as an everyday player if injuries strike again.

• A reunion with OF Austin Hays, 30, could sense for the righty-depraved Orioles, who never quite filled the hole he left behind when they traded him in 2024. Hays was effective when healthy last season and might benefit from a prove-it, one-year deal.

• The same goes for OF Lane Thomas, 30, who struggled mightily for the Cleveland Guardians last year but has a history of crushing left-handed pitching.

• The top two hitters being posted by Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball this offseason are corner infielders in 3B/1B Munetaka Murakami, 26, and 3B/1B Kazuma Okamoto, 29. Murakami is younger and a more prolific power hitter while Okamoto plays better defense and strikes out much less. Both would likely play first in Baltimore.

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich. 

Jackson, an undrafted free agent out of Illinois State, first juked past Minnesota Vikings safety Jay Ward, then closed in as rookie returner Myles Price bounced to the inside and in his direction. Trenton Simpson arrived first, but as Price started to slip through the linebacker’s tackle he was finished off by Jackson, whose right arm dislodged the ball. Once loose, things got “crazy” at the bottom of the pile but Jackson fought for it the way he’d fought his whole life and came away with it.

Two states away and a few hundred miles to the south, Freeport High School football and wrestling coach Anthony Dedmond rejoiced.

“Nothing was given to him,” he said. “He didn’t have the easiest time growing up. A lot of times he could’ve quit or made excuses. He never did. Sometimes he’d come to wrestling practice a minute late and I’d send him home after he’d walked there. It was just about accountability and consistency.

“His want-to is second-to-none. Everything he has is because of the work he has put in.”

Baltimore has a long history of overachievers who have played outsized roles as special teams stars, from Bennie Thompson, Anthony Mitchell and Adalius Thomas to more recently Tylan Wallace. Perhaps Jackson will be next.

The third-quarter turnover on Sunday was the second in as many possessions for the Vikings, helped shift the tide in what up until then had been a tight contest and led to a touchdown six plays later for a two-score lead in the Ravens’ eventual 27-19 victory. It was also just the latest in a number of notable plays by Jackson, who over the past few months has gone from the practice squad to being a game-day elevation to being signed to the 53-man roster to perhaps being on his way to etching his name into team lore.

“We knew he was loose with the ball the whole week, so I was just trying to get my hand on that,” he said of the fumble he both caused and recovered. “At the bottom of the pile, it was crazy down there, but I’m just sitting down there holding the ball. I knew I had it. I knew I was going to come up with it.”

Those in Jackson’s orbit, past and present, weren’t surprised.

In four seasons at Illinois State, he racked up 225 tackles in 45 games (33 starts), including 14 tackles for loss, 5 1/2 sacks, five interceptions — two of which he returned for touchdowns — and had 13 pass breakups. His senior year, he played the second half of the season with a separated shoulder, was named an FCS All-American and in the season opener that year – a 40-0 wipeout at Iowa’s raucous Kinnick Stadium – had a season-high 11 tackles. One in particular stood out, though.

“Even with our headsets on, he made a hit on a check-down and you could hear the pads crack,” coach Brock Spack said. “That whole stadium went ‘Oooh!’ That’s what epitomizes his career here.”

It often wasn’t easy.

In his early days at Illinois State, Spack told Jackson that he needed to get his grades in order if he wanted to play football there. When he first arrived, he did so as a walk-on.

In high school, where he also wrestled, his path forward wasn’t always clear or certain. There were “tough times” off the field Dedmond said, noting a turbulent childhood that included Jackson moving around quite a bit including to Mississippi before returning to Freeport, a blue-collar town of about 23,000 a half hour west of Rockford.

Still, if there’s one thing that Jackson loves, coaches at all three levels said, it’s football.

“There was no plan B for him,” Dedmond said. “He had plan A and that was it.

“Sometimes people took his passion as being hard to deal with. But just seeing that passion grow was huge.”

So, too, have been some of the plays he has made for Baltimore.

In four games, he has made six tackles on special teams. He was called for two penalties in a win over the Miami Dolphins, but the speed, physicality and verve with which he plays has been both vital and an injection of juice into the unit.

It’s also a role Jackson has long embraced.

At Illinois State, coaches on more than one occasion wanted to move him off special teams because he was too valuable as the team’s top defender. Jackson wasn’t having it.

“He’ll do anything to get on the field,” Spack said. “Going into his senior year I remember talking to scouts and saying this guy smells and breathes of special teams. He’ll cover, block on returns, anything. He really likes it.

“You could just tell he’d be good at it, too. He’s hard to block, can run, he’s athletic. He’s hard to stop in the open field because of that.”

That was evident in Minnesota even after he recovered the fumble.

Jackson celebrated with a backflip, something he’d done the week before after a big tackle against the Dolphins the week before. This time he stuck the landing a lot better, too.

It’s no wonder then that it didn’t take long for Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who cut his teeth in the NFL as a longtime special teams coach, to see what Jackson was capable of.

“He was bringing it,” Harbaugh said. “He was showing us a lot of progress, a lot of development, improvement and all those things.

“He has some unique skills. He’s a big rangy, fast, explosive athlete who is certainly not afraid to throw it in there and mix it up, which he does at a high level. I think he’s a football player, and he proves that. [He has an] infectious personality and high energy. To see it show up on the field the way it has is a great thing to see, and he’s building a resume, but now the standard keeps going up for him.”

As Dedmond texted Jackson the other day, though, “great job, but it’s just the beginning.”

“This moment is not his best moment. It’s just the start to the best moment,” he said. “Anything’s possible.”

Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1.

Each week, the community will have an opportunity to vote on who they believe should receive the top game ball as Player of the Week. The results of each poll will be published in the following week’s game balls.

Last week’s results

Atholton cross country freshman Cameron Martinez was named the Howard County athlete of the week for Oct. 27-Nov. 2 with 25.37% of the vote, followed by Glenelg field hockey’s Cate Staley (22.91%) and Mt. Hebron girls soccer’s Sam Bucchioni (20.44%).

Martinez was initially selected after finishing as the runner-up in the Class 3A South Regional with a time of 16 minutes, 59.62 seconds.

This week’s 10 game balls

Here is the list for Nov. 3-9

Note: The poll to vote is located at the bottom of the story. Make sure to cast your vote ahead of next week’s new nominees.

Andrew Adams, Guilford Park, football

Adams displayed his big-play ability in the Panthers’ commanding 48-0 opening round playoff win over Chopticon. He finished with five receptions for a game-high 153 yards to ignite the explosive passing game. Through 10 games, Adams, a dynamic weapon averaging 25.5 yards per reception, has 24 catches, 613 yards and three touchdowns.

Anna Fiedler, Howard, volleyball

Fiedler played an important role in Howard’s wins over Centennial and Chesapeake-AA to advance to the state semifinals. She finished with five kills against the Eagles and elevated her play against the Cougars with a team-high 18 kills.

Avery Hubbard, Glenelg, volleyball

Hubbard is leading the Gladiators’ attack in her senior season and one of the key players guiding them to the state finals. Through 61 sets played this season, she is the team leader in kills (206), second in blocks (21), third in digs (126) and tied for fourth in aces (20).

Caroline Latchis, Glenelg, field hockey

Latchis stepped up when her team needed in it most in the state semifinals. She scored a team-high two goals in the 3-2 win over Kent Island, including the go-ahead goal with under three minutes remaining to send the Gladiators to the Class 2A state final.

Angela Lei, Reservoir, volleyball

Lei has been of the Gators’ leaders all season and continued her strong play in a five-set regional final win over Sherwood and a sweep of Northern-Calvert in the state semifinals. She finished with 12 kills and six digs against the Warriors and added six kills against Northern.

Maddie McShea, Mt. Hebron, girls soccer

McShea is playing some of her best soccer of the season deep in the playoffs. She scored a goal in the state quarterfinal win over Hereford and also netted the game-winning goal in double overtime of the Vikings’ 2-1 true road win in the state semifinals over Kent Island.

Ian Radtke, Centennial, boys soccer

Radtke was all over the field and creating opportunities for the Eagles in their 3-1 state semifinal win over Tuscarora. He scored the go-ahead goal in the 33rd minute on a header and is tied for second on the team in goals (seven) and assists (four).

Trinity Shackelford, Glenelg, field hockey

Shackelford was a brick wall in net for Glenelg in its 2-1 state championship win over Manchester Valley. The senior finished with double-digit saves, including several clutch saves down the stretch with the game tied in the fourth quarter. She concludes her career having started every game the last four years, highlighted by three state titles and a phenomenal 19-1 record in the postseason.

Tito Tokunboh-Salako, Glenelg, boys soccer

Last year’s Howard County leading scorer, Tokunboh-Salako is finding his stride once again. He netted a pair of goals in the opening seven minutes of Glenelg’s commanding 3-0 state semifinal win over Hereford. The senior has scored in eight straight games and will look to extend that trend as Glenelg faces Fallston in the 2A state final on Thursday night.

Drew Wilschke, Centennial, boys soccer

Wilschke netted the all-important insurance goal for Centennial in the 73rd minute of its state semifinal win. The senior is tied for the team’s second leading scorer with seven goals and four assists this season as the Eagles enter the 3A state final against Stephen Decatur on Saturday afternoon.

Note: All statistics and information included is submitted by coaches. Please send in statistics and scores information to mdscores@baltsun.com and jsteinberg@baltsun.com. Please also send game ball nominations to jsteinberg@baltsun.com with an athlete’s name and class year as well their total statistics for that week’s games.

Between firing aces and diving all over the floor for critical digs that kept rallies alive, Ball powered a 12-point stretch that flipped the Lions’ eight-point deficit into a four-point lead.

“I actually told one of my teammates, ‘Wow, I’m really tired from serving that much,'” Ball said. “She said, ‘Just serve five more and then we’ll be good.’ So, I think seeing the finish line and seeing my team feed off my serves made me feel like I just had to keep pushing. If I missed my serve, that energy was just going to crash down. So, I wanted to keep that energy up.”

Howard’s extended run quieted a capacity Arundel crowd and powered the second-seeded Lions to a 25-21, 25-23, 25-22 sweep of the sixth-seeded Wildcats. The Lions (19-0) advance to the state finals for the first since 1980 when they claimed the program’s only state championship. A tough challenge awaits as they’ll face top-seed and undefeated North Hagerstown at APG Federal Credit Union Arena at 2 p.m. Saturday.

“Practically unbelievable. Being down that big to a quality team like Arundel and to believe in ourselves in the way that the whole team did,” Howard coach Grant Scott said of Ball’s service run. “She’s the heart of this team, so for her to go back on the line and push 10-plus points in Game 3 of a state semifinal against a quality opponent, I couldn’t be prouder of her and my team.”

Despite having swept the Wildcats during the regular season, Howard knew taking down Arundel in its home gym would be no easy task. The Wildcats (14-5) buzzed with energy from the support of passionate fans and gave the Lions everything they could handle. Junior setter Imagine Peltier closed out an all-important first set with an ace, which briefly quelled the excitement of the electric crowd.

“We really tried to focus on ignoring the crowd,” Peltier said. “We knew that there was going to be a giant crowd. We did our best to try and block it out, just focus on ourselves, on our energy, keeping us together and not focusing on the external stuff.”

The second set was also neck-and-neck with each side mounting an answer whenever one built slight separation. Down the stretch, Howard and Arundel exchanged three-point spurts, which tied the score at 23.

Yet again, the Lions elevated their level in a defining moment. Peltier capped off the second set with another ace, placing it on the floor in front of several diving Wildcats.

In a win or go home moment, Arundel burst out of the gates in the third. The Wildcats stymied Howard’s attack and jumped out to a 7-1 lead and built the advantage to eight late in the set.

However, Howard displayed its championship DNA and roared back to officially move one step closer to its ultimate goal.

Scott first identified this could be a special group and championship caliber team two years ago. He saw the potential of the now veterans as underclassmen, which began coming to the forefront last year with the Lions reaching the state semifinals. Now, the Lions are taking that potential to new heights and doing so in dominant fashion. Including the Bel Air Tournament where it played five best-of-three matches, Howard has dropped just one of its 68 sets this season.

The Lions can beat you in a variety of ways with a diverse attack, stout defense and consistent serve-and-receive.

Each of those elements will be tested in the state final on Saturday with Howard wholeheartedly embracing its toughest challenge yet. Howard and North Hagerstown are familiar with one another having faced in a tournament last season.

One team will leave that contest with a banner hanging in their gym and the unique distinction of closing out a perfect season. Howard is hoping to be that group and accomplish something no Lions team has done in 45 years.

“It means so much,” Ball said. “All the years that I’ve been playing here, we’ve had a good team, we just haven’t been able to execute when it really matters. I think this team really learned from those past mistakes. We kept our energy up, because we see the banners at our school and we see how there hasn’t been a state championship one. Our saying is that we want to put a banner on the wall. That’s what we’re going to try and do on Saturday.”

Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Steinberg at jsteinberg@baltsun.com, 443-442-9445 and x.com/jacobstein23.

The Blazers never trailed in the match before recording a 25-22, 25-11, 25-20 victory in the Class 1A semifinals. Clear Spring (15-5) will play for its third state championship in four years on Saturday at noon at Harford Community College against Harford County’s Patterson Mill.

“We knew going into the game that they were going to be a tough team,” South Carroll senior Elaina Murphy said. “I think for the most part our biggest challenge was our serve receive. They had some pretty tough serves and we couldn’t handle it.”

The best set for the Cavs (14-2) was the first. After trailing most of the set, South Carroll rallied from a 21-15 deficit using the service of Morgan Taylor. Taylor served five straight service winners, and Murphy and Jenna Todd contributed kills to go on a 5-0 run to tie the set at 21 apiece. That, in turn, forced a time out by Blazers coach Jessica Custer.

The Blazers looked like a different team after the time out. Clear went on a 4-1 run to close out the set and record a 25-22 win.

South Carroll struggled mightily in the second set. After cutting the deficit to just one at 7-6, Clear Spring’s Ella Wagner went on a serving run of her own, recording five service winners including two aces to extend the lead to 12-6. Even after Cavs coach Kristine Keck called a time out, South Carroll continued its slide. A combination of Cavs mistakes and excellent ball placement lead to South Carroll only recording five more points and dropping the second set 25-11.

“I think our energy fell off in the second set,” senior Gabriella Deyo said. “That ultimately affected our play for the rest of that set. It was a mental thing, and I think that was our biggest challenge today.”

The third set was much closer. After a service error by Clear Spring, the Cavs trailed 20-17 late in the set. Clear Spring then got an ace by Kaisy Custer and kills by Juliet Hodge and two by Olivia Smith to end the set 25-20 and take the match.

The loss ends the career of South Carroll’s Murphy. The senior will leave as one of the greatest players in South Carroll history. She has already been named county Player of the Year by the coaches for three consecutive seasons and should win it again this year.

“I just blessed to have played these four years and stayed healthy and played with these awesome girls,” Murphy said. “It’s been a fun ride.”

Keck was just proud of the effort her team, which is losing seven seniors, showed throughout the year.

“We had an incredible season,” Keck said. “I think these girls preformed to the best of their abilities. The reason they were so successful is that they worked as a team and they trusted each other. That brought us further than maybe their athletic ability indicated it would.”

No. 13 Reservoir falls in Class 3A semifinals

In the Class 3A volleyball semifinals, Washington County’s North Hagerstown (23-0) used 28 kills from Marquette-bound senior Caydence Doolan to defeat No. 13 Reservoir (19-3), 25-19, 15-18, 25-13 at Thomas Johnson High School in Frederick

The Hubs will play Howard/Arundel on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Harford Community College. North Hagerstown will be playing for their fourth consecutive state title.

Doolan was almost a one-person show and kept the Gators off their game all night with her thundering kills.

Reservoir, which has overachieved this season after getting hit hard by graduation, just had no answer for Doolan. North Hagerstown also did a good job of taking advantage of serving errors and unforced errors by Reservoir. The Gators made several runs, and even cut the lead to 20-17 in the first set, but the Hubs were just too much.

In an interesting side note, the last Maryland school to beat North Hagerstown was Reservoir. The Gators did that in the state semifinals in 2021.

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The fashion choices contradicted what unfolded on the court inside Xfinity Center. The Terps used a 29-10 opening and then withstood a testy lull just before halftime before sprinting to a 84-64 victory before an announced 10,461.

With the win, Maryland (2-1) bounced back from Friday’s 70-60 loss to Georgetown during which the visiting Hoyas led wire-to-wire. So Tuesday’s outcome was a welcome sight for the players and coaches.

In addition to the 29-10 run at the beginning of the first half, the team used a 15-2 burst to open the second to gain some distance from the Braves. Coach Buzz Williams was pleased with those developments even as he watched the Terps let Alcorn State remain competitive.

“I think we probably played 25 minutes the way we want to play,” he said. “I thought the first 10 minutes, a lot of what we want to accomplish was happening on both ends of the floor. Then it really drastically changed from an execution standpoint, a stamina standpoint. And then in the second half, I thought a lot of what happened in the first 10 minutes was very similar — without having watched it — to the first 10 minutes of the first half. Then the air almost went out of the balloon again.”

Senior power forward Pharrel Payne continued his strong start for the Terps, amassing a season-high 22 points and seven rebounds. The Texas A&M transfer entered the game tied for the team lead in points per game at 19 and leading in rebounds per game at 8.5 and is the only player to score at least 10 points in each of his first three games.

Redshirt freshman shooting guard Andre Mills contributed 16 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. Senior small forward Elijah Saunders finished with 12 points, two rebounds and two assists, and freshman shooting guard Darius Adams compiled 10 points, three rebounds and two assists.

The offense converted 50% of its field goals (28 of 56), outscored the Braves 34-24 in the paint, and scored 14 second-chance points off of 14 offensive rebounds. Mills noted that the team racked up 14 assists.

“I wouldn’t say there was more of a change tonight,” he said, comparing the games from Tuesday and Friday. “We just shared the ball a little more. We are starting to care about the little things. Every single day, we kind of harp on the little things.”

Payne had been tied for the scoring lead with redshirt junior point guard Myles Rice, who dropped 19 points in his debut for Maryland against Georgetown. But the Indiana transfer returned to a walking boot on his left leg and sat out Tuesday’s game.

The Terps did not appear to miss Rice at the outset. They scored six of the game’s first eight points before the Braves (0-4) tied the score at 7-7 almost three minutes into the game.

Maryland answered by scoring 13 consecutive points in a 5:55 stretch to assume a 20-7 advantage. When junior point guard Jameel Morris sank a layup with 10:26 left in the stanza, that snapped a 6:59 drought during which Alcorn State missed eight straight shots.

The Terps took off on a 9-1 burst to enjoy a 29-10 advantage with 8:28 remaining. That cushion seemed to put the game out of reach.

Maryland vs. Alcorn State in men’s basketball | PHOTOS

Except someone forgot to inform the Braves. Rather than curl up, they reasserted themselves by scoring 10 unanswered points in just over four minutes. On the flip side, Maryland went 5:46 without scoring until Payne drained a pair of free throws with just under three minutes until halftime.

After Payne converted two more free throws at the 2:13 mark to give the Terps a 33-22 lead, they did not score again until halftime. That opened the door for Alcorn State to score the final five points of the half and trail by just 33-27 at intermission.

Fortunately for Maryland, halftime was a timely moment to reset. The team rediscovered its offense and opened the second half with a 15-2 spurt, which proved too much for the Braves to overcome.

Morris came off the bench to pace Alcorn State with 22 points, three assists and two steals, and senior shooting guard Travis Roberts and junior shooting guard Shane Lancaster added 14 and 10 points, respectively. But the Braves suffered their third loss of 20 points or more while absorbing an 0-4 start for the second year in a row.

“We still turned the ball over way too many times,” he said. “We have to really improve in that area. And they did a phenomenal job of rebounding the basketball. It’s one of the things my team has to understand. Coming into these environments and playing teams of this magnitude with this size and this length, you have to put a body on somebody, and I don’t think we did a great job of that this evening.”

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They danced and mouthed along as coach Josh Wagener relayed the plan for what became the winning set to the team huddle. That energy carried over into the third set, players still dancing and singing to the melody as they waited for the opening serve. Their looseness came in handy when CMIT-North crawled back from a large deficit to take a late lead. A Wagener timeout reminded his players of the goal, and Patterson Mill pulled back ahead to complete its straight set victory, 25-20, 25-16, 25-22 and clinch a state championship appearance.

“It means the world to all of them to make it to that Saturday,” Wagener said. “That’s the first major goal. I know it means the world. Being so close for so many years, and most of them have been with the varsity for at least three years, just means so much for the whole program.”

This stage has been the ceiling for Patterson Mill in recent years. The Huskies have reached the state semifinal round four years in a row but lost in each of the last three. This year was different because of the senior class that experienced all of those heartbreaks.

“I’ve been with these girls for years, you know the buttons to hit,” Wagener said. “I just put it all in perspective. We’ve been here for four years in a row and came so close, and now we’re a couple points away. You just gotta push. I could see them getting tired and just didn’t want it to go to a fourth set.”

Their experience showed in Tuesday’s win. Patterson Mill controlled the first two sets with big early leads they maintained throughout and fended off a late CMIT-North surge in the final moments.

Patterson Mill will face Clear Spring, a three-set victor over South Carroll in the other 1A semifinal, in Saturday’s state title game at Harford Community College. Until then, practices will be kept light and fun, Wagener said. Just like how they play when it matters.

Bel Air falls to 17-time state champion

The Bobcats knew what they were up against.

Williamsport, the dominant Washington County squad, has controlled the Class 2A girls volleyball bracket for years. The defending state champions’ path back to the top this year took them through Bel Air, which lost in straight sets 25-20, 25-18, 25-22 to end its season Tuesday night in a Class 2A state semifinal on its home court.

“They were just a really good team,” senior right side Annalise Lewis said. “We could have executed better, but at the end of the day, we still played an amazing game. It was our own mistakes, little mistakes.”

Coach Dave Simon felt Tuesday was Bel Air’s first of two state championship games, the next coming Saturday if the Bobcats were to win. Instead, they couldn’t get past the semifinal round for the third time in seven years.

At the center of this year’s team was Lewis. Bel Air’s offense funneled through the imposing senior. “Every time she goes up, you can’t wait to see what’s gonna happen,” Simon said. She was a focal point again in the loss, leading comebacks that fell just short after Bel Air started each set in an early hole that proved too steep to climb out of.

“Just the people,” Lewis said when asked what she’ll remember most about the program. “You can’t get any better than this.”

“Annalise is a true leader,” Simon added. “She’s a great person, loves her teammates, does all the little things right, everything you’d want in a captain. She really ignites us and gets the fire started. And we want to keep it burning.”

Bel Air seems to reload every year, replacing county players of the year with ease to fuel its next deep postseason run. Last season, it was Anna Kane. This season was Lewis’ turn. There’s some underclassmen Simon has his eye on to take over in 2026. He’s confident his Bobcats will be back.

“We’ll kind of have to hit the reset button, to a degree,” Simon said. “We’re not starting from scratch. We’ll remain competitive.”

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She was swarmed by teammates as the Gladiators finished off a 20-25, 25-21, 27-25, 25-22 Class 2A state semifinal win over Calvert.

Glenelg advances to the 2A final for the first time since the program’s last state championship in 2021 and will face Williamsport on Saturday at APG Federal Credit Union Arena.

“I didn’t even have any thoughts in that moment, I was just like, ‘We’re going to states,'” Hubbard said, holding back tears. “I love these girls so much. To be able to do it with them, means so much to me. That’s all that was going through my head. ‘This is my family and we’re going to states.’ I was so proud of everyone.”

Hubbard and fellow senior Isard Bernades spearheaded the attack throughout. Junior setter Jessica Li keyed the offense with 47 assists and put the ball in advantageous positions for the Gladiators hitters time and time again. Bernades and Hubbard were vocal throughout the match, particularly in the first set when the Gladiators struggled.

However, the Gladiators are no stranger to overcoming adversity entering the state semifinals with back-to-back five-set road wins over No. 9 River Hill and Kent Island.

“I’m always telling the players to stay focused, don’t get distracted,” said Glenelg coach Nick Sharp, who took over for Christopher Fox at the end of the regular season. “One play at a time, don’t get discouraged. Trust your teammates, never give up. Play the play. What can you say about a win like tonight. I couldn’t be prouder. They’re tough, they’ve got good mental fortitude and good discipline.”

All even at one set apiece, the Gladiators appeared destined for an easy third set win with a 23-18 lead. However, the Cavaliers roared back with six consecutive points to take a one-point lead and were serving for the set.

Despite making some errors on the prior points, the Gladiators reset and Bernades delivered a clutch kill to even the score at 24. Shortly after, Hubbard sealed the pivotal third set win with another kill.

“I just try to keep my cool,” Bernades said. “I was telling everyone to, ‘Calm down and not get too frantic. Don’t be too comfortable.’ Just try and get the ball up as best as you can, so that we can make it better.”

The deciding set was back-and-forth with the noise in the gym increasing to deafening levels. The Gladiators fed into that energy, often playing their best when the energy in the gym is at its highest.

Glenelg wanted to be diving all over the floor, emphatically encouraging one another to raise their level and strive to reach a stage they’ve never reached before. Bernades trusted her teammates more as the match wore on, which empowered everyone to play their best.

For Hubbard and Bernades, Arundel’s gym was a house of horrors of sorts. Their last deep postseason run as sophomores ended in that gym, a loss in the state semifinals to Arundel. Neither standout senior had won a match in that gym, but they picked an ideal time to secure a victory in what could have been their final high school match.

“I wanted to change that pattern of never having won on this court,” Hubbard said. “That’s what was going through my head. Don’t think, ‘Oh, it’s going to be another loss on this court, that sucks. No, change the momentum. Don’t think of this gym as a haunted area, think of it as something where you change the pattern.'”

Heading to the season’s pinnacle, Glenelg hasn’t done so without its fair share of adversity. The Gladiators’ coaching change at the conclusion of the regular season only further fueled their fire.

Glenelg knew many outside the program didn’t expect them to reach this portion of the season with many figuring their season would end in the regional final to River Hill. However, the Gladiators were committed to proving those doubters wrong and rallying around one another.

“I’m just looking forward to playing with my teammates one last time,” Bernades said. “I’m really excited that we’re going to be playing in states for our last game. It makes me really emotional to think about because a lot of people doubted us. We went through hell and back.”

While the belief from those around them may have faded, Glenelg’s confidence never wavered. The Gladiators displayed championship resolve and resilience and are looking to continue the theme of firsts by culminating the 2025 season with this group’s first state title and the program’s sixth state championship.

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